[ LETTER ]

Gun Control

Published: Saturday, February 16, 2013 at 12:21 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, February 16, 2013 at 12:21 a.m.

For several weeks the editorial pages of The Ledger have been filled with "stop-the-madness" appeals for tighter gun-control legislation, as if adding more laws to those already on the books would stop lawless individuals, would stop the mentally incapacitated or would stop those fixated on the harm of others.

These opinions, which often rely on emotionally charged vocabulary, and much news coverage on the subject neglect two essential realities:

First, those Second Amendment advocates who keep large gun collections or those who enjoy recreational shooting, or those who feel a need for overwhelming personal protection, are not uncaring, unthinking clods. They feel the horror of these mass shootings, they are sensitive to the hurt and tearing of our social fabric, and they also advocate practical solutions to gun violence.

Second, the gun-control legislation being contemplated will have little, if any, immediate effect on gun violence compared to the realistic proposals gun advocates have set forth: mandatory prison sentences for any felon found possessing a firearm; identifying and caring for violence-prone, mentally ill people; changing the culture of violence found in the gaming, music and entertainment industries; and hardening soft targets such as schools, sports-entertainment venues and shopping malls.

To paraphrase one parent who tragically lost a child at Newtown, we're looking for an honest dialogue, not people jumping on their agendas.

<p>For several weeks the editorial pages of The Ledger have been filled with "stop-the-madness" appeals for tighter gun-control legislation, as if adding more laws to those already on the books would stop lawless individuals, would stop the mentally incapacitated or would stop those fixated on the harm of others.</p><p>These opinions, which often rely on emotionally charged vocabulary, and much news coverage on the subject neglect two essential realities:</p><p>First, those Second Amendment advocates who keep large gun collections or those who enjoy recreational shooting, or those who feel a need for overwhelming personal protection, are not uncaring, unthinking clods. They feel the horror of these mass shootings, they are sensitive to the hurt and tearing of our social fabric, and they also advocate practical solutions to gun violence.</p><p>Second, the gun-control legislation being contemplated will have little, if any, immediate effect on gun violence compared to the realistic proposals gun advocates have set forth: mandatory prison sentences for any felon found possessing a firearm; identifying and caring for violence-prone, mentally ill people; changing the culture of violence found in the gaming, music and entertainment industries; and hardening soft targets such as schools, sports-entertainment venues and shopping malls.</p><p>To paraphrase one parent who tragically lost a child at Newtown, we're looking for an honest dialogue, not people jumping on their agendas.</p><p>H.R. OTHOSON</p><p>Lakeland</p>